Jason Giambi unveils homered in observes the second, giving him 184 with the Yankees, passing Tommy Henrich and tying Charlie Keller for 16th place in team history. It was the first time he went eight innings since July 20, 2008. He needed treatment several times during the game, and was walking gingerly after. A ninth- round draft pick by Minnesota in 1992 out of Florida State, Johnson revived his career when he returned to the Vikings in 2005. Losing inconsistent WR Bryant Johnson( 49ers) won' t hurt much as the Cardinals still have one of the league' s more potent receiving tandems in Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. I believe I will find myself in a position of leadership with an organization again in the future. He allowed six hits, three runs, walked one and struck out four and left trailing 3- 2 after six innings " He was sick as heck " said Atlanta manager Bobby Cox of the right- hander who was ailing with a virus " Yesterday he had a 101 temperature.

Winning the NBA' s Most Improved Player award Thursday took some of that sting away . 1 points, second behind rookie sensation Kevin Durant, and consistently showed he was fully recovered from offseason ankle surgery . No matter what people say, they can' t determine the outcome I will have in the NFL " Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press . Pat Gillick, who had been Seattle' s general manager for the past four seasons, said after the Mariners' final game of the year that he would resign Jim Duquette also is a candidate for the job with the Mets . He' ll wait and see whether he does that on trips to Yankee Stadium " We' ll see how it goes " he said " I haven' t done that as much here " Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. Rose told investigators he was using it as a sleep aid because he had been having trouble with some knee injuries Rose also admitted to selling the drug. The hard- throwing right- hander with a history of injuries retired 18 in a row in that one The soreness didn' t go away all week.

Most of my shots were bail- out shots with the clock winding down, or shots with a hand in my face " Battier, coming off the bench for the second straight game after missing the previous two because of a sprained right ankle, drained a buzzer- beating 3- pointer that gave Memphis a 69- 63 lead after three quarters . But Miller made a tough shot while defended by Renaldo Balkman as time was running down on the shot clock on Philadelphia' s next trip " When you put young guys in situations where they' ve never been, this is where they learn, this is how they learn " Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said " They can learn to play in the first quarter, but when the game is close, this is when they learn to play . Dungy' s classy reputation might make it harder to imagine him ripping coaches and players " You think that because he' s such a nice guy . The last man to throw a complete- game one hitter in the World Series- coincidentally the last time his Red Sox played the Cardinals for the championship in 1967- Dr . Johnny Damon homered and Miguel Cairo had two RBI for the Yankees, who have won nine of 10 to take over first place in the AL East " This is pretty amazing. Actually, I don' t know what he is hitting in that spot, but it' s been pretty doggone good from a productive standpoint and from a numbers standpoint. Rodriguez hustled his way to a leadoff double in the sixth, evading a tag at second base with a clever slide.

Detroit tied it in the third on doubles by Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen . The Orioles were happy, too, though with Bedard gone, they don' t have an ace or even someone that' s a lock to pitch on opening day . The Sixers are making a late playoff push, one reason team president Billy King said before the game that Cheeks would return next season " It' s a heck of an accomplishment to win six straight home games at any point in time " Cheeks said " For a young group to do it, it' s even bigger " Bryant cooled in the second half after scoring 21 points in the first . Information from The Associated Press was used in this report . baseball history " I just hope they have an opportunity to compete They really deserve to. 82 ERA in two starts spanning 11 innings for Class- A Rancho Cucamonga. The Blackhawks led 2- 0 less than 3 minutes into their 5- 1 home victory over Philadelphia on Friday night, a game in which Chicago held a 22- shot edge " We' re just going out there trying to win our battles every period, and looking forward to the next one " Byfuglien said.

But the pain- it doesn' t stop- Tommy Urbanski " We' re taking it very seriously " said Lt . The general manager vacancy was created when Blank subsequently announced that McKay would lose his oversight of the personnel department Senior writer Len Pasquarelli covers the NFL for ESPN . Otherwise, as expected, Redskins defensive end Jason Taylor( calf, cornerback Shawn Springs( calf, running back Ladell Betts( knee) and receiver Malcom Kelly( knee) were inactive Monday . Bochy said Park will not make his scheduled start Sunday against Colorado . 7 percent( 9- for- 35) in three games since taking over Ray Allen' s spot in the starting lineup. But Nash led a 10- 0 run to bring Phoenix within 96- 91 with 2: 44 left on the clock. Your name means more " Bolar said " I was very upset that I had to go that route.

C- Determined to avoid injuries, Carolina Panthers coach John Fox decided not to play his starters in the final preseason game Thursday in Pittsburgh . Jones The Cowboys had employed the bodyguards to try to keep Jones out of trouble " They lost their job when he got suspended . He signed with the San Francisco 49ers later that year, but was released for missing a practice He also has played in the Canadian Football League Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press . People think it has to be four or five times " Players who test positive the first time are required to seek treatment; a second positive test results in a$ 10, 000 fine and a minimum 15- day suspension . A good chunk of that is committed to Bonds, who will begin his 15th season with the club only 22 home runs shy of surpassing Hank Aaron' s career record of 755 Bonds has agreed to defer some of that money. On the first day of the Atlanta Falcons' minicamp, Ryan took great pleasure in connecting often with his new tight end. The Rangers, who came in with baseball' s worst team ERA at 5 45, had allowed 69 runs over the past seven games Texas' starters were even worse in that span with a 15.

The new lineup seemed to have the Nets out of sync early, and they turned the ball over 13 times in the first half and finished with 20 . The Jets have restructured Coles' contract to allow him to become an unrestricted free agent " I have had the pleasure of getting to know Laveranues since he has entered the league in 2000 " Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum said " He is a fierce competitor, a great teammate and a good friend who has always given his best to the New York Jets " I spoke with him today and expressed my appreciation for his contributions both on and off the field . The Diamondbacks' lead lasted two pitches into the fifth when Reed homered into the pool area in right- center field, clearing the fence by inches " I' m still trying to get there but the last few at- bats have been comforting " said Reed, who earlier this season went through an 0- for- 21 slump . Brett Myers stood up and screamed " Oh my God " and Ryan Madson nearly fell over " They were pretty shocked " Howard said " I just knew it took off . Judge Marc Gold said Leyritz must stay away from drugs and alcohol while waiting for trial, and he must blow into a machine three times a day to prove he is following orders. Randolph, however, was not cited because he has a concealed weapons permit for the firearms, said Officer Catherine Kent, a Portland police spokeswoman. A lot of people' s lives have been changed " Coach Jack Del Rio already told strength and conditioning coach Mark Asanovich he would not return for a seventh season, likely the scapegoat for all of Jacksonville' s injury problems in 2008.

305 with 31 homers, 93 RBI and 12 stolen bases last season, the first time he played a full season without going on the disabled list . 403 since he was called up from Triple- A Round Rock on July 13, pinch- hit for Backe in the seventh and doubled off Pittsburgh reliever John Grabow The Astros won their third straight series opener . Rowand, next up, hit a ground ball to Braun, who let the ball get under his glove into left field for an error . Matt Belisle, Homer Bailey and Edinson Volquez are competing for jobs Fogg went 10- 9 with a 4 . However, there were already indications this winter that the Phillies have stepped up their pursuit of bench help and potential fill- ins, to supplement incumbent utility man Eric Bruntlett. The spokesman also says A- Rod told him that " everyone " from the Dominican works with Presinal, that A- Rod denies having received steroids or other illegal performance- enhancing drugs from anyone besides Sucart, and specifically said that he never received drugs from Presinal. Washington has four shutouts this season, which ties them with the Marlins and Giants for the NL lead.

Bryant' s attorneys scheduled an all- day deposition with the woman on Feb 1 . Tampa Bay entered the NHL in 1992- 93 and waited more than 14 years for that to happen . Kevin Martin gave them more than they could have hoped for, sinking all 13 of his free throws and converting a trio of 3- pointers " Kevin was not healthy " Kings coach Reggie Theus said " He played through it His stomach was hurting He didn' t even make it to shooting practice I wasn' t sure I was even going to play him . When we were inside the 20- yard line, I often threw the ball to Charlie in the corner of the end zone and he made a lot of circus catches . Freed from the strict routine of a player, the dangerous pass rusher had settled into a fulfilling life of a husband, father and small- business owner after being released by the Houston Texans at the end of training camp Then the New England Patriots called. Last week, Browns owner Randy Lerner said he will wait until January before deciding the future of Savage and coach Romeo Crennel " I' ve got four years left on a contract " said Savage, who joined the Browns in 2005 and is signed through 2012 " I' d love to be able to finish that out He[ Lerner] said everything is under review I' m an open book I can walk with my head held high I think we have done a lot of positive things here. He' d rather rest " The Cardinals bounced back from a 9- 2 loss in the series opener Monday night to take the final two games and win their sixth straight series They tied it at 4 on Molina' s single to left in the sixth.

He led that league in stolen bases for two years, and topped all of minor league baseball with 78 steals in 2005 " He has that ability to get on base " Wren said, though he stressed that the Braves weren' t locking down Anderson as their next center fielder " If there' s someone else out there that we feel is a good fit for our ballclub, we' ll do that, too " The Astros also signed outfielder Yordany Ramirez, formerly of the San Diego organization The 23- year- old Ramirez hit . 92 ERA in nine career starts against Tampa Bay at Yankee Stadium " In and out, keeping the ball down, mixing up pitches, kept us off balance all night " B J Upton said . I' ve got to make some adjustments " Martinez said " The health is there . He struck out three, walked two and committed a balk in an 82- pitch start . and the lead author of Pro Football Prospectus 2007 and 2008. Bassett said Benson thought the light was yellow when he went through around 2 a m, though he stopped immediately when police appeared. That suspension came after a failed appeal and was the result of a violation of the league' s substance abuse policy.

And Harrison missed his first game with a season- ending thigh injury, replaced by second- year pro Brandon Meriweather " We were just taking names there in the fourth quarter " Belichick said " seeing who was available and who we could put in and' if he went there someone else would go here' and' he knows this' and' he can do that " It was definitely a scramble . All during the NLCS, his kooky comments made him a contender to become baseball' s next Yogi Berra . According to one story, he learned how to use his speed from the left- handed batters box by repeatedly watching Ichiro take batting practice . CHICAGO( AP- First, Ozzie Guillen threw a towel Later, he slammed a water bottle . He was limited to only three games last season after a pair of knee surgeries, and was still well off his top form after an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee in April. When asked about it at Tuesday' s hearing, though, he admitted " I' m not sure that is correct " But it didn' t stop him from preaching to the committee about " what' s right and what' s wrong " and about a " system that is obviously broken# 8226; The league and the union could do a better job of explaining what they do for disabled players. But beyond that, he says there isn' t much more he can do to help his injuries heal more quickly " You can' t ice a pinched nerve and concussion " Favre said.

The White Sox and Rockies will meet five more times this spring The White Sox went 14- 18 last spring . DiNardo( 1- 2) got through four innings on 55 pitches with only two hits . PHOENIX( AP- For the third time in five home games, the Arizona Diamondbacks overcame a deficit of six runs or more For the first time, they won the game . 8 rebounds and two blocks in the playoffs- but his impact almost always was . The Cardinals' bullpen has allowed 23 earned runs in 24 innings over the first seven games of an eight- game homestand. Soriano, who made seven straight All- Star games before missing out this year, struggled to hit 241 with 20 homers and 55 RBIs on the season It was his lowest output for home runs since 2001. Lucky game " The Mariners' team record for consecutive road losses is 15, set June 22- July 28, 2004 It was their first road victory since Aug.

Vizcaino, who played the past five seasons with the Astros, has reached the playoffs with the Cleveland Indians, Giants, New York Yankees and Astros He batted . Fast Facts# 8226& nbsp; The walk- off home run by Mark Ellis was his third career grand slam and third career extra- innings home run# 8226& nbsp; The last walk- off grand slam by the Athletics was by Mark McGwire against the Angels on June 30, 1995 off Lee Smith# 8226& nbsp; This was the second walk- off grand slam this season . We' ve just got find a way to produce better results " Game notes Cincinnati 1B Joey Votto left the game in the fourth inning with dizziness Votto, the NL' s leading hitter with a 381 average, was listed as day- to- day . Figueroa, who took Johan Santana' s spot in the rotation, got Jake Fox swinging for the second out of the fourth inning for his ninth strikeout of the game . 6 trade, in which he was critical of the team' s medical staff and noted that in Phoenix " no one is asking me to play with Chris Quinn or Ricky Davis " It ended the way I wanted it to end " O' Neal said of his relationship with the Heat. Omar Vizquel swiped second in the eighth for his 350th career stolen base. District Court Judge Susan Illston said she would rule on Bonds' request.